Information about Prickly Pine:

The Pinus Pungens is commonly known as the Hickory Pine, Mountain Pine, Prickly Pine as well as Table Mountain Pine.

The currently accepted scientific name of Table Mountain pine is Pinus
pungens Lamb. . There are no recognized varieties or subspecies.
Table Mountain pine hybridizes with pitch pine (P. rigida) and shortleaf
pine (P. echinata) .

Table Mountain pine is widespread in the Blue Ridge and
Valley-and-Ridge provinces of the Appalachian Mountains from central
Pennsylvania to northern Georgia. Outlying populations occur in
monadnocks of the Piedmont region .

Table Mountain pine is dominant in the climax Table Mountain pine-heath
community type . The published classification listing Table
Mountain pine as a dominant species in community types (cts) is
presented below:
Area Classification Authority
NC: Smoky Mtns. forest veg. cts Whittaker 1956